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BOSTON, Mass. –– University of New Hampshire forward Brandy Fisher (Potsdam, N.Y.) today was named recipient of the inaugural Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, presented to the women’s intercollegiate varsity ice hockey player who displayed the highest standards of personal and team excellence during the 1997-98 season.

The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award was created by the USA Hockey Foundation to recognize the accomplishments of the most outstanding player in women’s intercollegiate varsity ice hockey each season. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is supported by a grant from the NHL Foundation.

The presentation of The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award was made today during a special luncheon hosted by the Boston Madison Square Garden Club at Legends Restaurant in the FleetCenter.

Fisher, a senior, was chosen from a group of three finalists that included goaltender Laurie Belliveau (Manchester, Mass.), a senior from Yale University, and forward Sarah Hood (Pelkie, Mich.), a senior from Dartmouth College. The finalists and recipient of The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award were chosen by an 11-member selection committee comprised of women’s intercollegiate varsity ice hockey coaches, representatives of the print and broadcast media, and a representative of USA Hockey –– the National Governing Body for the sport of hockey in the United States. Candidates for the award must compete for a women’s intercollegiate varsity ice hockey team at an NCAA-member institution. Other selection criteria includes outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the “clutch,” personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Consideration is also given to academic achievement and civic involvement.

“Brandy Fisher has enjoyed a record-breaking season for the University of New Hampshire, and her accomplishments are consistent with the level of excellence represented by The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award,” said USA Hockey Foundation President Walter L. Bush, Jr. (Edina, Minn.).

One of the most prolific scorers in women’s intercollegiate varsity ice hockey, Fisher led the University of New Hampshire and the Eastern College Athletic Conference in scoring this season with 80 points on 41 goals and 39 assists in 37 games. She also led UNH in power-play goals (11), game-winning goals (six) and short-handed goals (three), and registered a hat trick in four games.

Earlier this season, Fisher became the all-time leading goal-scorer in UNH women’s ice hockey history and is one of only three players in school history to surpass the 100-goal plateau. She enters this weekend’s American Women’s College Hockey Alliance Division I National Ice Hockey Championship ranked second on the UNH all-time scoring list with 239 career points, including her school-record 128 goals.

As captain of the Wildcats, Fisher led the University of New Hampshire to a 29-5-3 overall record and an 18-1-3 mark in the Eastern College Athletic Conference. The Wildcats captured the 1997-98 ECAC Regular-Season Championship and are the top-seeded team in the American Women’s College Hockey Alliance Division I National Ice Hockey Championship.

Originally from Potsdam, N.Y., Fisher is an exercise science major at the University of New Hampshire. The 22-year-old is the daughter of Allen Fisher and Mary Denicourt.

As the recipient of The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, Fisher was presented with a custom-designed award hand-crafted for the USA Hockey Foundation by Tiffany & Co.

The award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League honoree for the Princeton University women’s ice hockey team from 1981-82 through 1985-86. An accomplished athlete who excelled in ice hockey, field hockey and lacrosse, Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990 at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.